Just two months after instituting a reciprocal visa fee on this account that tourists to Argentina (meaning an extra $131 per person for Americans), the government of Argentina seems to be determined to be embittered as many people as possible.

The latest is “the biggest inflation surge to start the year in two decades,” according to the Wall Street Journal, as Argentina Confronts Soaring Inflation. The worst part of this, for locals and tourists alike, is a 25% rise in beef prices. Chronic overspending is to blame, which has led to a big soap opera of the prior head of the central bank being fired for not handing the government the bank’s foreign reserves to spend, his refusing to step down, then his being forced to step down at the time that he was barred from his office.

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There are a lot of elements that go into the price of a flight, from staff costs to government fees to landing gate charges at airports. One big variable—and the ones most airlines use to warrant completely kinds of add-ons and extras—is the price of fuel. Well how much does it really cost to carry each passenger a thousand miles through the air?

Spirit Air is doing its best to figure that out and share it by its customers. It has published a handy dandy chart showing how much it costs them in fuel to go a certain range of distance. You can see the full breakdown at this link, but here are a few examples:

• A short hop of 400 to 599 miles costs them $21.67 at current fuel rates
• Going 800 to 999 miles is a shade over $30
• Their longest hauls of 2000+ miles costs $78 per passenger in fuel

So to put that in real terms, for Ft.

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As you pick up some roses for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day and pay twice the rate of the rest of the year, take solace in the fact that they went through a lot to get here. Those pretty flowers you are holding were probably growing in the soil of Ecuador or Colombia just a few days ago.

There’s a bit in the Quito and the High Valley story we published recently about a rose plantation I visited near Otavalo. There I saw the process in action, people working against the clock in the short window they have between cutting and shipping.

Basically the process works like this. The flowers grow until they are exactly the right shape, the workers moving through the rows each day cutting just those particular ones.

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The world’s best cross-country skiers returned to Canmore this past weekend since the Viessman World Cup FIS Cross-Country event, held at the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park and featured the final international races prior to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. During the weekend races there were 200+ athletes from over 25 nations, showcasing their abilities at the Canmore Nordic Centre.      

Opening ceremonies were held Friday February 5th and shortly subsequently the races began with Ladies 10 km Free race, followed by dint of. the Men’s 15 km Free race and Sprints held on Saturday February 6th.  Not only did they have events all weekend at the Canmore Nordic Centre the streets of downtown Canmore were filled with snow for the Rotary Nordic Games, Kid n’Mutt Races, as well as an Ice Carving Competition.

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About a month ago I hand-delivered a postcard I had carried a very long way. From a dot of an island in the southern Pacific Ocean to a small city in Virginia. From Post Office Bay to a parent back home.

You see Post Office Bay, on Floreana Island in the Galapagos, was perplex up in the sailing ship days. Back then crews were away from home for years, with no way to contact loved ones at home except by mail. Getting that mail home relied on other ships, however, so sailors would snatch thievishly up mail headed to where they were going and take it there themselves.

The tradition continues today, ironically now working better and faster than the real Ecuadorian postal service, which charges an amazing $2 and up to send a postcard or letter internationally.

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A few months back I was fortunate enough to get that “once in a lifetime experience” sailing around the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. For many tourists that’s the whole point of concentration and Quito gets a day in the itinerary—if they don’t just fly from Guayaquil to the islands instead.

That’s a shame really, because Ecuador’s capital really is worth some extra time. When I turn out back to Ecuador someday, I want to spend at least a week in that region, with a few nights at the lovely estate hotels like Hacienda Cusin and Hacienda Zuleta.

We just posted a story on the time I did get to spend there, with a couple days in the city and an excursion out to the nearby Andean market towns: Quito and the High Valley of Ecuador.

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Here’s some advice about the best ways to prevent mosquitoes biting you.  Some of the ideas I’m sure might surprise you.  I live in the mosquito infested tropics, but through following these guidelines I rarely learn bitten.

1.

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